Humans hard-wired to enjoy calm rural life

Humans are hard-wired to enjoy the calm of the countryside, while cities make us confused, anxious and aggressive - even if we were born and raised in urban areas, scientists have found.
The results of the study could be due to the fact humans lived in rural environments for hundreds of years, researchers said.
Scientists at Exeter University said an area of the brain associated with being in a calm, meditative state lit up when people were shown images of rural settings.
However, images of urban environments resulted in a significant delay in reaction, before a part of the brain involved in processing visual complexity swung into action as the viewer tried to work out what they were seeing, the 'Independent' reported.

The research, which used an MRI scanner to monitor brain activity, adds to a growing body of evidence that natural environments are good for humans, affecting mental and physical health and even levels of aggression.
Rural images produced a "much quieter" response in a "completely different part of the brain", Dr Ian Frampton, an Exeter University psychologist, said.

However, the effect does not appear to be aesthetic as it was found even when beautiful urban and "very dull" pictures of the countryside were used, the report said.
Urban dwellers could be suffering in the same way as animals kept in captivity, Professor Michael Depledge of Exeter University, said.

According to Depledge the move to the cities had been accompanied by an "incredible rise in depression and behavioural abnormalities".